


Nighttime Plans

by KucatsHouse



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Post-Book 6: City of Heavenly Fire, Post-Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy: Born to Endless Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 07:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20904221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KucatsHouse/pseuds/KucatsHouse
Summary: When they can't sleep, Alec and Magnus make plans for their future.





	Nighttime Plans

**Author's Note:**

> Characters and original story concept the property of Cassandra Clare.
> 
> Those that have read Queen of Air and Darkness may recognize the one line that was inspiration for this short piece.

Alec couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him as he shut the door to his bedroom and leaned heavily against it. He had spent the past two hours humming, murmuring, cooing, coaxing, even pleading and begging with Max to get him to sleep. Max had always been a difficult child to put to bed; things were worse now that he was a one-year-old toddler. Although he couldn’t actually say no yet, he had learned to vehemently shake his head when he didn’t want something. When he really didn’t want something, his little blue face would scrunch up in a way that his parents knew meant he was about to cry in protest.

And what Max really disliked the most was going to sleep, as it meant less time with his parents.

Nights were Alec’s purview, at his insistence. Max spent most daytime hours with Magnus, letting the young warlock watch him work magic. Despite the early manifestation of his warlock marks - his navy blue skin and horns - Max wasn’t yet capable of performing any magic. This didn’t seem to concern Magnus, who had commented that watching a full fledged warlock at work would be good for Max. Thus with Magnus assuming day time responsibilities, it seemed only fair, Alec thought, that he take on the duties of getting Max ready for bed. Dinner, baths, diaper changes, bedtime stories - Alec took over all the necessary tasks to allow Magnus some hours of peace. But it wasn’t ever easy when Max put off the inevitable. 

Sometimes, if he was being entirely truthful, Alec preferred battling demons to putting his baby to bed. 

It was well past midnight at this point, which wasn’t unusual for those accustomed to late nights. But parenthood, in addition to his work, was still new to Alec; he had, on more than one occasion in the presence of his mother, wondered aloud how she was able to be a parent to newborns three times over while still being a Shadowhunter. Maryse had just given her son a sly, knowing smile. There wasn’t a moment from the past year that Alec would have traded for anything, but he hoped at some point it would get easier.

“Is he finally asleep?”

Lifting his head, Alec found Magnus staring at him from the bed. He had thought Magnus had been asleep, but instead the warlock appeared awake, peering at him from a rumpled nest of gold satin sheets. “Yes,” Alec replied, running a hand through his already mused hair. He didn’t hesitate when Magnus beckoned him over. Alec paused only long enough to remove his jeans and shirt before slipping into the bed and Magnus’ arms.

“Long day?” The bed jostled slightly as Alec shrugged.

“The usual. City patrols, wayward demons, trying not to let Jace get himself killed, paperwork. You?” Alec sighed quietly at the feel of gentle fingers combing through his hair.

“The same. Clients, minor demon summonings, curses. You know how it is.”

For long moments they lay together, enfolded in the other’s embrace. Moments like these were the ones they liked best, when it was just the two of them. Alec could feel any remaining tension seep from his muscles at the simple sound of Magnus’ steady heartbeat. He released a another quiet sigh, his warm breath tickling the skin of the warlock’s neck. Blue eyes slowly closed, awaiting.

But sleep had decided to evade him that night, and as the minutes stretched on Alec continued to lay awake. He could tell from Magnus’ breathing that the warlock had also failed to fall into slumber. Given their professionals and the amount of physical and mental energies they exerted, it was a rare thing for both of them to remain awake.

“I assume Jace would be your _suggenes_.” Magnus’ voice was soft, spoken as if he were afraid he would break the stillness of the night, but his words were clear. It was a statement, not a question, simple and plain. 

Alec’s smile was hidden against Magnus’ shoulder. It had become an unspoken thing between them the last few months: when neither of them could sleep, they began to make plans. They always picked up right where they had left off, as if there weren’t days worth of interruptions in between. Magnus and Alec had spent half a dozen nights already like this, whispering quietly into the night, trading ideas and thoughts. Sometimes one of them would sit up and jot a thought down on paper, but most of the time they made mental notes and somehow remembered everything for that one day in the future.

They hoped that day wouldn’t be too far away. 

“Of course,” Alec replied, his voice soft. “At least, I plan to ask him.”

“If he says no?”

“He won’t. But if he does, Izzy is my next choice.” Alec’s voice trailed off as he thought of something, wondering. “What about you? Is there anything like _suggenes_ in warlock tradition?”

“No,” Magnus said simply. One long finger drew lazy circles on the curve of Alec’s shoulder as he spoke. “Warlocks walk themselves down the aisle. Sometimes they don’t walk, they just appear.”

“Why?”

Magnus made a vague, nonchalant gesture with his hand. “Who knows? Something to do with the notion that we are eternally alone in our immortality, I suppose.” The uneasy quiet that came over Alec let Magnus know it was the wrong thing to say. “Sorry, too much?”

Something about the way Magnus spoke saddened Alec. Magnus may have been joking, but Alec had the feeling that his speculation was nearly on the money. Warlocks lived a long time and often had many loves, but it seemed they had little to celebrate - even weddings. “Are there any traditions in warlock weddings?”

“Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a warlock wedding. One doesn’t happen very often. But there is one detail I recall.” Magnus took hold of Alec’s left wrist, encircling the slim bones with his fingers. “Guests at warlock weddings wear strips of blue silk on their wrists. Downworlder guests anyway. I don’t ever recall Shadowhunters attending a warlock wedding.”

Alec turned his wrist, releasing it from Magnus’ hold and took his hand, interlocking their fingers. He made a mental note to include cobalt blue silk to their list of supplies. “When are you thinking of?” he asked.

Magnus made an inelegant sound. “Night, obviously. Unless you want to tell Lily she isn’t invited.” He smiled at Alec’s troubled frown.

“That would not be pleasant,” the Shadowhunter admitted. “But I can’t imagine Lily not being there. Or Maia.”

“Of course they are both invited,” Magnus agreed. “All of our friends are naturally invited. Your parents, of course. Jace, Isabelle, Clary, and Simon.”

“Must we invite Simon?” Despite his words, there was a teasing smile on Alec’s face. “Catarina, no question. And Jem and Tessa.”

“Helen and Aline.” Magnus attempted to kiss away the furrow that had formed on his love’s brow. “We’ll find a way to convince the Council to let them come back. Don’t worry, love.”

Alec knew that if anyone could convince the Council to let their friends return from Wrangel Island, it would be Magnus. Helen and Aline understood his relationship with Magnus in a way no one else would - or even could. Rome was a secret the four of them shared; it was the place they had been, literally, forged in fire. He had been there during their wedding; Alec wanted Helen and Aline to be at his. But the Cold Peace and a general distrust of faeries made the prospect slim. Alec was fairly certain that only the dissolving of the Cold Peace could change things, but he didn’t know when it would happen, or even if it would.

Knowing their thoughts were both drifting to less happy places, Alec decided to change the subject. “Okay, so at night,” he said, continuing their earlier train of thought. “Where do you want it to happen?”

Magnus gave a short, sharp laugh. “Where wouldn’t I want to have a wedding? So many prospects!” He lay quietly mulling over the possibilities. “We could have it here, since your family is all here.”

Alec shrugged, the motion shifting the bed just slightly. “It doesn’t have to be New York. We can Portal anywhere.”

“Now there’s a thought! Paris would be nice, but it’s so cliche. Venice?” Magnus smirked at Alec’s incredulous stare. “I’m joking. I’m sure neither of us want to deal with another collapsing building.”

“How about Spain?” Alec suggested. “We never did get to visit properly. Mom is always talking about the time she spent there during her travel year.”

“Or…what about Alicante?”

It was Alec’s turn to grow quiet and mull over the idea. He was touched that Magnus would even consider the Shadowhunter homeland as a place to get married. Alicante wouldn’t welcome their union - many there didn’t approve of their current relationship - but Magnus knew how much it meant for Alec to get married in a Shadowhunter ceremony. To be wed in Shadowhunter gold. To suggest that he would be willing to stand in Idris’ grand city and marry Alec before the entire Clave, their opinions be damned, meant more to Alec than Magnus would know.

“Lily and the others wouldn’t be able to attend,” Alec said, his voice soft. “As much as it means to me to get married in Alicante, I won’t do it if our friends can’t be there with us.” An idea came to Alec then, but he hesitated not knowing how Magnus would react. It was Magnus who noticed the small changes in his expression and spoke.

“There’s something on your mind.” Magnus sighed when Alec shook his head in denial. “You can be so aggravating sometimes, Alexander.”

“It’s just…” Alec bit his lower lip, wondering if what he was about to say would be a mistake. “What about Indonesia?” He held his breath as he watched Magnus’ expression change from good-natured teasing to a blank stillness. In the last couple of years, they have traveled to many places together but never the country where the warlock was born. Magnus seemed to have both a fondness and deep set loathing, mostly the latter, for his birthplace. 

“No,” Magnus finally said. “I wouldn’t want to have the wedding there. Although…” He paused, pondering. He didn’t want to have what would be one of the happiest days of his life in a place where his last memory was his most wretched, but there was something from Magnus’ past he did want. “Wherever we get married, I’d like it to be on a beach.”

That surprised Alec. Never had he suspected that Magnus would be interested in such a venue. He had never taken his boyfriend for a beach wedding type person. “Why the beach?”

Gold-green cat eyes took on a far-off look as Magnus lost himself for a moment in distant memories. “I grew up near the beach.” His voice sounded far away as he spoke, taking on the quality of a storyteller relating a generations old tale. “I spent my earliest days being able to hear the ocean from my home. Until I left, I fell asleep each night with the sound of the waves. I miss it sometimes.” A wistful sigh escaped him. “I would love to get married near the waves. I want to hear them when I say the vows. I want to hear them when I bind myself to you.”

Alec took it all in silently, shelving the information away. He had the feeling Magnus would never mention this information to him again, but Alec could tell how much the idea of marrying on the beach meant to Magnus. He’d make it happen, he would find a way. 

Minutes ticked by in silence. Magnus had turned to lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He held Alec close, trailing up and down the muscles of the archer’s arm. The silence between them stretched, easy and companionable.

“Who would you choose to officiate?” Alec asked.

“Who would you?” Magnus turned his head, gold eyes meeting blue. They spoke at the same time, their answer a singular name.

“Jia.”

Their laughter filled the room; neither was worried about waking Max as Magnus had had the forethought to place muffling spells. As their amusement subsided, they continued to talk long into the night, trading ideas for the day until they fell asleep around three in the morning, arms and legs entangled and dreaming of they day they hoped would come soon.


End file.
